


Jade Rings

by Ibijau



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Amnesia, Angst, Fluff, Happy Ending, Jealousy, M/M, Miscommunication, Revali is a dumbass, Secret Marriage, Secret Relationship, courting, self doubt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-06
Updated: 2019-09-06
Packaged: 2020-10-11 07:08:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20542109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ibijau/pseuds/Ibijau
Summary: Revali sighed and again touched his jade ring, staring at the smaller one he could barely see on Link's ear.It wouldn't be easy. But he would get his husband back, one way or another.(aka, Revali and Link got married before the Calamity but Link forgot)





	Jade Rings

The clouds were gone now, and under a sky bluer than it had been in a hundred years, the princess and her knight clung to each other with more despair than affection. They had won, but the cost of that victory was heavy on their minds. Zelda had lost her family, her friends, her kingdom, while Link couldn't even know what he had lost. Might never know it again. But they were alive, they had won, they had each other. That had to count for something.

They did not notice the first blue flame until Urbosa walked to their side and hugged them tight.

"You have done well," she told them with a proud smile.

Tears that they had barely contained flowed from the two hylians' eyes as they hugged her back. She was warm and consistent and  _ alive _ , a miracle Link wouldn't have expected but welcomed all the same.

Another blue flame appeared, Daruk this time, who joined the hug and squeezed them so tightly they could barely breathe. Not that Link minded one bit, he didn't need air but his  _ friends _ ? They were all he had wanted these past few months.

"May I join too?" Mipha's soft voice asked nearby, and Link opened one arm to invite his oldest friend.

He remembered so little about her, but it felt right to have her small shape against his side, to see her smile even through tears. He hadn’t known how much he had missed her until she was given back to him.

A last blue flame and Revali was here too, but he did not join them. Link barely noticed it at first, though soon it bothered him and he kept glancing at the rito. From what little he remembered it was to be expected that the rito champion would stay aside. The rest of them had been friends, but inside Vah Medoh Revali had made it clear he bore no affection for Link. It hurt a little, because the hylian vaguely remembered... admiration ? It had to be that. Something that had brought him to watch the rito train as often as he could, and to tolerate his bad attitude.

It would have been nice to hug Revali too, but the rito was glaring at him as if to challenge him to make that offer. So Link didn't. It had been a long day after many long months, and he was too tired to fight again. He looked away from the rito and back at the other champions who were still congratulating Zelda on her feat.

It was good to have friends.

* * *

Revali watched as Link turned away from him, ignoring his pleading gaze. It was no surprise but it still hurt to be dismissed that way. To be forgotten that way. It had been clear to him and the other champions that Link had lost all memories of his life before the Calamity, something they had discussed sometimes within the confines of their Divine Beasts. A tragedy, they had all agreed, though Revali knew secretly they all hoped Link would remember them. The rito knew  _ he  _ did.

But seeing his ghostly form on Vah Medoh had not brought any light to the hylian's eyes, nor had the snarky jokes they had always exchanged before the Calamity. So Revali had hoped Link might have his memories restored on Ganon was defeated. A fool's hope, he now realised. Whatever they had shared was gone.

Without thinking his hand went up to the jade ring that decorated one of his braids, caressing the precious stone as he watched the others hug and cry together, envying their closeness. He watched Link hold Mipha close and smile at Daruk who was laughing good naturedly as if they hadn't just defeated the apocalypse. Revali wanted to join them so bad, but if he did Link would treat him as a stranger and that would be worse than being left aside.

Revali wanted those blue eyes to shine at him the way they used to, wanted to be smiled at like he was the moon and stars, wanted to be held close like something precious beyond words.

He dropped his hand, the jade unpleasant under his fingers now that only he knew its meaning. Half of him wanted to tear it off and throw it away, angry at that reminder of something he'd lost. The other half, more rational, whispered to him not all was lost. So what if Link had forgotten? He could be reminded. He could be swept off his feet again. If he had fallen for Revali once, why wouldn't he love the rito again now? It might take time (it had taken time back then too) but in the end they would have something sweeter than before, without the looming threat of Ganon to taint their every moment together.

Revali sighed and again touched his jade ring, staring at the smaller one he could barely see on Link's ear.

It wouldn't be easy. But he would get his husband back, one way or another.

* * *

Because he was the only one to still have something as trivial as  _ money  _ on him, Link paid for beds at the stable. They all apologised for imposing on him in spite of his assurances that he was too happy to have them back to care about a few rupees. Revali was the only one to stay quiet, glaring at the girl who had taken Link's money. He had noticed the way she'd smiled at his husband, playing with her hair and too innocently asking about Zelda and Mipha while Link counted his rupees. At least the hero hadn't looked interested, although knowing him, he might just not have realised there was anything to be interested in.

'I'll cook for us,' Link signed, and that was met with more protests, but he only smirked. 'None of you can cook anyway,' he pointed out. 'Except Revali.'

"Since when can Revali cook?" Mipha asked, eyeing the rito with suspicion.

"And why would you know that information?" Urbosa added, raising one eyebrow. 

The questions took Link by surprise, as if he had no idea how he would know that, and he looked at the rito for answers. As if Revali hadn't made food an extensive part of his courtship the instant he'd realised he was falling for a glutton, carefully studying that art even though it held little appeal for him.

"Not all of us had servants," Revali tartly said. "I had to work before this champion nonsense started, and I had the choice between cooking my own meals or starving. I don't know how he knows that. Maybe he's a little less stupid than I thought." 

Link grimaced at the insult, and Revali had to remind himself that hylian courtship was... Different. Less aggressive. Which he shouldn't have forgotten, considering the problems that had caused the first time. 

'I'll make us a stew,' Link announced, pretending nothing had happened. 'But I don't think I have anything for Daruk. We can ask the stable crew...' 

"I'll do that, little guy," the goron cut him. "Never had servants either, and  _ I _ don't have an attitude about it." 

Revali rolled his eyes, but did not answer. No need to start getting into fights already, especially with someone who mattered to Link.

Their three ladies, having nothing to do, went to sit on one of their beds to chat about something Revali didn't feel like listening on. Instead he went to join Link at the cooking area and, without asking, started peeling some of the vegetables the hylian had taken out for their dinner. Link glanced at him, clearly surprised, but he did not protest. If anything there was a small smile at the corner of his lips, though that might have just been the pleasure of cooking. 

"It'll taste better with some chickaloo nuts in it," Revali pointed out. "Can go check around for that if you don't have any." 

'Like you'll feel the taste anyway,' Link retorted with a smile that was soon replaced by a frown. 'Why did I say that?' 

"Rito have a pretty pathetic sense of smell and taste," Revali explained, surprised that this would be something Link remembered. But then again, food had always been the hylian's true love. "What I know of taste is through hearing others talk." 

Link tilted his head, clearly tempted to ask more questions. He thought better of it and instead rummaged through his bag until he found a few chickaloo nuts. 

'It's not a prank, right?'

"I know better than to joke about food around you." 

That had the hylian smiling with almost the same softness in his eyes as in better days. He dusted the nuts and popped them into the pan, before slicing the carrots Revali had prepared for him. Something they had done before, when Zelda had come to visit Rito Village and abandoned them to their own design while she raided the Elder's library. 

The food was delicious, their three ladies said later. They were surprised when Link pointed out how much Revali had helped, but did not ask questions this time. 

Urbosa looked suspicious though, and Revali wondered if it would be good or bad, should she guess the truth. He never knew where he stood with her. Where he stood with any of them. 

It had felt safer back then to keep things secret. At first because they weren't sure their fling would be serious and then, when it  _ had  _ turned serious, because they had felt guilty for finding joy in such troubled times. The other champions and Zelda had been worrying so much while the two of them had dared to be happy. Not to mention some people might have objected to the difference in species. But that was then. Now the world had changed, and they had a right to happiness, didn't they? 

Needing sleep again was odd. After decades of wakefulness, they all had trouble getting used to feeling tired. At night they dropped one after the other, Link needing to half carry some of them to their bed because they only realised too late how exhausted they were. Sleep, also, brought dreams. For Revali, many of them were of his time imprisoned inside Vah Medoh, barely conscious but still aware, watching upon Hyrule as it slowly fell to ruins, seeing his precious Divine Beast blast other ritos down and not being able to stop it. 

Waking up again was a relief. Revali was the second one up, which surprised him because every time they had travelled as a group before he'd been first, more sensitive to the light of dawn than the others. Even more surprising was the fact that Link of all people had risen before him, when he had always been the sort to enjoy sleeping in. Perhaps he too had nightmares. If so, Revali felt it his duty to try and comfort him. 

He found Link in the stable's courtyard, chatting with a gerudo merchant who was showing him her wares, playfully pressing pretty jewelry against his skin. Link allowed it easily, smiling and admiring everything, not seeming to notice the way the gerudo looked at him. He did notice Revali's approach, giving him a small wave and a smile before turning his attention back to a nice set of earrings. 

"Topaz for electricity," the gerudo explained, carefully pressing them against Link's ears, her fingers brushing against his skin a little too much. "Very useful if you are heading to Zora's Domain. And they do look very nice with your hair. If you want a mirror..." 

'I've got a set like this already,' Link replied, shaking his head. 'I like earrings, I've got a lot of magical ones. They really help a lot. I even have a diamond set, but I don't think I'll need it so much now. I'll still wear my coronet though. It's pretty.' 

He chuckled at the idea of wearing something just for looks, after so long of worrying only about practicality. He'd always like jewelry, something Revali wished he could have given him more of, except he hadn't exactly been rich. He was glad that Link now had the money to buy it on his own. 

"What about that one?" the gerudo asked, reaching for the jade ring on Link's left ear. "What does it..." 

The hylian quickly slapped her hand away, then looked confused by his own action. 

'This one is just good luck I think', he signed hesitantly. 

"Not magical, uh?" 

Link touched the ring, frowning. 

'I think it's important though. It's one of the few things I had when I woke up. I never remove it.'

The gerudo nodded, as if that were explanation enough. "Jade though. Not common for a hylian. Isn't that more of a rito thing?" 

She turned to Revali, only to shiver at the intensity of his glare. She'd been lucky Link had pushed her away, of the rito might have attacked her for touching their wedding ring. 

'Problem?' Link asked. 

"None,"Revali hissed. "And jade isn't magical for rito either. Pretty though.  _ Precious _ . It's a fairly common courting gift."

The gerudo laughed. "Oh, do you have a rito girlfriend, little voe?" 

'A boyfriend maybe,' Link replied, laughing too. 'Knowing me, I just thought it was pretty and I bought it without thinking. That would be like me.' 

"Magpie brain," Revali grunted, unable to contain the pain at having his gift treated as a worthless bauble. 

He should have told Link then. Explained how jade was the stone married people wore, which was what they were, as any rito would guess seeing them together. He'd blown all of his savings on these rings, knowing Ganon was coming soon, knowing after the fight they'd be either famous and rich, or dead and without need for money.

Instead of saying any of that, Revali stepped away and took flight, hoping the wind on his wings would distract him. 

* * *

Zora’s Domain was just as impressive as Link and Mipha had promised when the six of them had discussed where they should head. Its high and open architecture was a challenge to Revali, and if there hadn’t been so many people he would have loved to dive between the delicate arches, just to see if he could. That place would have been perfect to further improve his flying, if only it hadn’t been inhabited. Perhaps he could still try on an early morning… if Mipha was anything to go by, zoras rose later than him. He wondered what face Link would make if he saw him do something this reckless. He’d be torn between admiration and reprimand, as he always was when Revali showed off with something dangerous. Admiration always had won in the end though, unless the rito hurt himself… and avoiding Link’s scolding had been a good reason to be careful.

But that would be something for later. Right then, Link had eyes only for the Domain, signing excitedly to the champions about all the things he wanted to show them. He introduced them to every guard they encountered on the way, clearly delighting in their shock every time he hopped aside to let them discover Mipha. People cried at the sight of her, touching her to check that she was really here. She allowed it with only the faintest embarrassment, delighted to have left a mark on their memories.

Mipha was in it for a shock when she discovered a tall statue of herself right in the middle of the Domain’s main square. She seemed upset by it, something about the monument’s expression being too sad, but Revali envied her. To be missed and remembered this way, to leave a legacy this strong at so young an age… he was almost sure not even his name remained in the minds of people in Rito Village. Damn, even his own husband didn’t remember him,  _ that  _ was the impact he had left on the world.

"Link, you have returned!" someone shouted from above them. 

The booming voice was soon followed by a zora that jumped from one of the balconies, landing right in front of Link and lifting him in his arms. 

"I had missed you, dear friend!" the zora exclaimed. "I saw that you were successful and the clouds upon the castle have finally lifted! I always knew you could do this!" 

Link laughed, hugging back the giant red zora who had picked him up so easily. Before long though, the hylian tapped on the zora's shoulder and pointed at the champions. For a second the giant stared in silence before tears came to his eyes. 

"Mipha?" he whispered, gently putting Link back on the ground. "It cannot be..." 

The zora princess broke into tears and ran into the giant's arms who spun her around, laughing and crying. 

"You've grown so tall!" she sobbed. "You were just a small tadpole and now look at you! Oh, Sidon, I have missed you so much!"

Zelda had a hand pressed against her mouth, trying not to cry at that emotional display, while Urbosa and Link were both grinning. Daruk just looked confused, while Revali was trying to figure out where he had heard the name Sidon before. 

"That's her little brother," Zelda sobbed. "He's so big now! I had seen him with Link but to be here in person... He's  _ huge _ !" 

"You saw him with Link, uh ?" Revali asled, trying to keep his tone neutral. 

"I watched everything Link did," the princess explained. "There's so many people who helped him along the way... I'm so excited to finally meet them! Sidon especially, he seems so nice!" 

Nice indeed. 

Not content to have his sister in his arms, Sidon had picked Link up again and the hylian was laughing, blushing and clearly delighted to be up there with Mipha. That didn't look like very friendly behaviour to Revali, but what did he know about zoras? And good for Link if he had made a friend, he certainly would have needed it after waking up alone and without memories. Still to see his husband in another man’s arms and so happy about it…

And it wasn’t just the zora prince. There had been that girl at the stable. The gerudo with her jewelry. Some of the travelling merchants they had met on the way. One zora guard who had been smiling a little too much. Link had always had a certain success, but his amnesia had rid him of the coldness his knight training had drilled into him, and that apparently made him irresistible to everyone around him. Which Revali understood too well, because the first time Link had smiled at him in earnest he’d  _ known  _ this was the man he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Sure at the time that smile had been rare and precious, but it didn’t change the fact that Link was gorgeous and kind and, apparently, impossibly attractive regardless of species. And if someone a little better than Revali decided to make a move...

It was time for action if he didn't want to lose his husband.

* * *

The first step was to court Link with food, because that was at least one thing about him that hadn't changed in his long slumber in the shrine of resurrection. Lucky too that zora sold almost exclusively fish, because that was what he knew how to make right for Link's preferences... A necessity when  _ he  _ couldn't taste anything, but thankfully he had often watched Link cooked and paid great attention to all his explanations about this favourite hobby of his.

Using the inn's kitchen, Revali made some rice balls for Link. It was not the most elaborate thing he could have prepared, but he had heard Link mention a few times that he wanted to spend some time with his guard friends at the training ground. If they sparred (and why wouldn't they?) then Link might need a snack after. Something simple to eat but filling and nutritious, that he could easily make again if Link desired. It would give Revali a chance to shine and show what a pleasant, thoughtful person he was.

When he got to the training grounds, Link was in the middle of a fight with a female zora. They were both using tridents to spar and while the zora was clearly more at ease with such a weapon, the hylian could still hold his own. 

It was always impressive to see him fight with someone bigger than him, but there was something a little off too. Link used to have a kind of grace to him, an elegance born of endless training as a knight and some sparring with the other champions. 

Most of that was gone now, replaced by a fierceness and brutality more in line with someone self taught. It wasn't a  _ bad  _ show, but it made Revali want to jump in and point out Link's flaws. Someday, when they were close enough once again. Soon, hopefully. Revali had loved training with his husband and finding ways to play on each other’s strengths so they could form a perfect team.

The match finished soon after, without a clear winner as far as Revali could tell. He was wondering how to approach his hylian when Link spotted him first and waved at him with a wide smile that sent Revali's heart racing. 

He started walking toward his husband, but stopped when Sidon appeared at Link's side, congratulating him on a good fight and giving him advice. Link's whole attention turned to him, grinning and signing excitedly about something Revali couldn't understand from that angle. It was the most animated he'd seen his hylian since that day they had all been reunited at the castle, and it wasn't him that had caused it.

Looking down at his rice balls, Revali felt the foolishness of his effort. He would have to do better to compete against someone like Sidon. 

So he handed the plate of food to a nearby zora and left to find a better idea.

* * *

It was staring at his own wedding ring that gave Revali an idea for his next attempt at seduction. Link had always had an eye for pretty trinkets, especially shiny ones. In that he was very much like a rito, something they had laughed about sometimes. A gift could have been a clear way to mark his interest. 

Or it would have, if Revali had had any money. Which he didn't. At that point, he was almost convinced he was technically homeless, as it was unlikely his house in rito village had been left unoccupied. He'd have to start working again once king Dorephan grew tired of harbouring a freeloader, which he didn't exactly mind because he  _ liked  _ making bows, but after great dreams of fame... Though at the moment the real problem was that he couldn't afford to buy anything for his husband. Certainly he might have tried to borrow from Link, but that was against the purpose. Mipha had money, but involving her in this felt wrong. Revali remembered all too well the way the zora princess had looked at Link sometimes, and it would have been cruel to use her to court him. 

That left him with the option of gathering materials on his own and convincing someone to trade extra materials for a finished product. Some careful conversations with Mipha informed him that the area was fairly rich in Luminous Stone, but in spite of the abondance artisans paid a good price for it because the best deposits were in monster infected areas.

It wasn't hard to convince a jeweller to instruct him on the best way to recognise and gather Luminous Stones, and the zora even volunteered to lend Revali some tools to make that easier. Fortune he didn't have, but maybe there was  _ some  _ fame to being one of the Champions of Hyrule after all. 

Revali spent a full day planning his trip to upland Zorana, checking maps, asking the zora knights about the kind of monsters that lived around. He prepared some food too, since he intended to be gone at least a full day. His plan would have been easier if he could have gone at night when the stones were easiest to spot, but his vision wasn't so great in the dark. So he would leave in the morning, look around all day, and depending on his results he would either return to the Domain or spend the night on the hills to search some more the following day. 

Revali was just about to go to sleep so he could rise with the sun when there was a knock on the door of his room. An oddity. Hardly anyone had ever come to visit him there in the week since they had arrived, and servants didn't come around at that hour. 

His confusion only increased when he opened the door to find Link, smiling awkwardly at him. 

'I've been told you were preparing a trip outside the Domain?' 

"News travel fast," Revali noted tartly, wondering if it was Mipha or Dunma who had betrayed him. "Yes, I'm going tomorrow." 

'May I offer my services as a guide?' Link asked, a faint trace of pink on his cheeks. 'I know the area pretty well. I've come here often when I was working on freeing the Divine Beasts.' 

"To spend time with Sidon?" Revali asked, knowing he would regret the answer. 

For a moment Link frowned, as if he wondered what that had to do with anything. 

'Sometimes I went there with Sidon, sometimes alone. Mipha said you were interested in Luminous Stones? I can show you a great spot to find some. It's some pretty easy money, and the view up there is just gorgeous.' 

Revali hesitated. The stones were supposed to be used for a surprise. At the same time, he would have been stupid to miss a chance to spend time with Link and bond again. It had always been nice when they had managed to escape somewhere for a day or two. 

"Thinking of becoming a professional guide perhaps?" Revali teased. "You will need something to pay the bills now that your hero business is over, and I suppose your skillset doesn't allow for many careers, hm?" 

'We can't all be bowyers,' Link retorted with a grin that soon turned into another frown. 'That's what you did, right? The Great Eagle Bow...'

"Used my own feathers," Revali boasted, feeling his chest constrict that Link remembered that. What else might come back to him if they had a few hours to themselves, free to chat away from curious ears? "I was the  _ best _ , of course. Still am." 

Link snorted and rolled his eyes, so exactly as he used to do that Revali had to fight the impulse to take him in his arms. 

'So is it okay for tomorrow? We can meet in front of Mipha's statue.' 

"Sure, I could try and tolerate you. After a century with a Blight, even you will be good company." 

That joke was one Revali immediately regretted when Link's entire body tensed and he turned deathly pale. Perhaps it was still too soon to talk lightly about what they had all gone through. Revali wanted to apologise but before he had the chance Link signed a quick 'see you tomorrow' and strode away without another glance at the rito. 

They were blessed with a beautiful morning, sunny but not too hot, just enough wind to make flying a little bit more fun. A little before dawn Revali had gone to the statue, only to find Link already waiting there and checking things on the sheikah slate, a small pack at his feet. He was wearing some odd clothes that Revali hadn't seen so far, deep blue fabric that clung to his body decorated by beautiful silver ornaments. It looked very fetching on Link, far more than anything Revali would be able to get him. He pushed the thought away. Link would enjoy the mere fact of getting a present, especially if this trip helped him remember some of what they once shared. 

'It's a magic armor,' Link explained. 'I can swim up waterfalls with it, and that way we can both easily get up the hills. It's faster than climbing.' 

"Could have carried you," Revali noted. "I  _ wouldn't _ , but I could." 

Link chuckled at that and nodded as if he had expected it. 

"Where did you get that anyway? Looks expensive." 

'King Dorephan gave it to me,' Link signed after a second of hesitation. 'To make it easier to free Vah Ruta. It's a little tight but it's very useful.' 

It was also very nice to look at. Revali certainly enjoyed how closely it fitted on Link's body, leaving little to the imagination. It was a most pleasant view and for that alone, Revali was glad of the day they would spend together. 

Then he saw Link swim against the currents of a waterfall as easily as he would cross a quiet pond, and appreciation left its place to amazement. He knew how dangerous such waters could be, he’d seen careless flyers get sucked in and be pushed down under water or against rocks. Not all had survived. Yet Link was smiling to himself as he swam up, as if he were quite used to doing this.

‘I do it often,’ he admitted when they had reached the top of the hills and Revali mentioned he was impressed. ‘It’s fun. It’s almost like flying.’

“So you like flying too, uh?”

Of course Revali knew the answer to that question, but it was still pleasant to see Link nod quickly.

‘I like it a lot. I think I did even before the Calamity. The first time I touched my glider it felt right, and I immediately knew how to use it.’ Link paused a moment, then tilted his head as he looked at Revali. ‘The glider has the rito crest on it. Do you know why?’

“They’re a rito invention. You’re not the first hylian to take to the skies, though you were better at it than most. Of course, it helps that you had an amazing teacher such as myself.”

His boasting made Link chuckle, as he hoped.

‘Let’s get moving,’ the hylian signed with a fond smile. ‘I know a very good place to find Luminous Stones, but we’ll need to walk a bit. No flying for you, there are lizalfos around and they’ll attack if they see you.’

“We’ll just kill them if they do,” Revali retorted, surprised by that remark. Link had never been one to shy away from danger, more likely to throw himself into a fight than to look for ways to avoid it unless Zelda was with them and needed to be protected.

The look Link threw him was equally incredulous.

‘I don’t like killing them if I don’t need to. They’re just doing their best to survive like everyone. If they leave me alone, I do the same.’

“They’re just monsters, it’s okay to kill them.”

Link tilted his head, grimacing, but he did not insist.

They made their way toward Link’s deposit, slow and careful. A few times the hylian stopped to listen around, and once he made them do a large detour away from a rocky outcrop. When they were far enough from it, Link put one finger against his lips to order silence, then pointed at something among the rocks. There was a lizalfos there, so perfectly camouflaged only its slow breathing betrayed its presence. Revali was tempted to grab his bow and take down the creature, but Link put one hand on his arm and pointed again, as if there were more to see. Revali looked harder, in vain.

‘What’s the problem?’ he asked at last, signing slowly and hoping not to make mistakes.

‘It has eggs,’ Link explained with an excited grin. ‘I’ve never seen one with eggs before. I think it’s because they’re free from Ganon now. Things are changing for them too.’

Now that he had been told, Revali could somewhat spot that some of the rocks under the lizalfos body looked abnormally smooth. He had never thought that monsters could lay eggs, just the same as ritos did. He’d never thought even those foul creatures would have started as babies.

‘I’ll have to come again to check on them,’ Link decided. ‘I’ll have to take pictures when they’re born. Zelda will want to know more about that too. Maybe I’ll take her here so she can study them.’

With that decided, Link took Revali’s hand and pulled to signify they needed to keep moving. After one last glance at the lizalfos, Revali followed his husband. It was odd to let a monster live, but he trusted Link’s choice on the matter.

It would have felt wrong anyway to kill something that was just trying to care for its young.

Around noon, Link suggested they stopped somewhere to rest and eat. Revali readily agreed, a little unused to walking so much. He wondered if Link had noticed his tiredness, since the hylian himself did not seem particularly affected by their long trek.

They sat in a small shadowy spot against a tall rock, and Revali opened his bag. Among some extracting tools was a carefully folded piece of fabric that contained his lunch.

'Rice balls!' Link signed when he saw them, his hands almost shaking with excitement. 'The same as the other day?' 

Revali almost dropped the balls in surprise. 

"What?" 

'When you came to see me training. Tottika said you gave him the rice balls but zoras don't eat cooked food so I got to keep them all for myself. They were really good!'

The compliment had Revali's feathers puff in pride and embarrassment. He'd figured that zora knight might have kept the food for himself or thrown it away. It was a pleasant surprise to know his gift had still found its way to Link, even more so to learn it had been appreciated. 

"Those are different," Revali warned. "I made them for myself so I didn't bother seasoning them. But if you'd still like one, be my guest."

That was all the encouragement Link needed to steal one rice ball and bite into it. Revali expected him to make a face and be disappointed by the lack of salt and spices, but instead the hylian happily munched, a silly grin on your face. 

"Sorry if it's a little plain," Revali grumbled, pecking at another ball. "When it's for me, I only put enough salt to help it cook better." 

'I'm used to not having salt,' Link retorted. 'It's not always easy to find, and I can do without.' 

Revali wasn't sure how to answer that. The thought of salt being a rare commodity was odd. Even him, who didn't care much about politics, knew that salt trade was a thriving business, especially among hylians. Or at least it used to be. Many things had been lost because of Ganon, and the world had been changed in ways that would take a while for him to understand. 

They finished eating quietly. Link had brought some dried fish with a taste so strong even a rito could feel it. A zora delicacy, and Revali had to admit he didn't hate it. Once they were done they should have returned to their quest for Luminous Stones, but the midday sun was shining strong and Revali found he didn't want to move just yet. The stones weren't going anywhere after all, and Link didn't seem in a hurry to go either. They could stay like this for a while, just enjoying the sun and each other's company. 

'Too hot,' Link quickly signed before carefully peeling away his clothes, keeping only his briefs. 

Once, the sight of Link almost naked had been one of Revali's favourite things. But as the hylian undressed, he discovered there too, things had changed. Link's torso was almost entirely eaten by a large scar, almost perfectly circular, surrounded by other smaller ones that extended all over his body. Some of the smaller ones Revali remembered, but most were new to him. That large one was new too, and it was too easy to guess what caused it. In his century of imprisonment he had seen people and animals be hit by the dreadful blast of guardians. He knew what sort of wounds they left. He'd never before seen someone survive it. 

Noticing the stare, Link grimaced. 

'That's the one that killed me,' he explained with an annoyed little huff. 'Most of the others are also from the final fight before I had to be sealed away. Some are new though. This one is from a lynel, it bit me.'

Link was pointing as a row of puncture marks on his arm, grinning like a child showing a scratch he'd gotten playing rough, but Revali couldn't take his eyes away from his husband' s chest. 

"What do you mean it  _ killed  _ you?" 

The grin disappeared and Link tilted his head. 'You didn't know? I died protecting Zelda when Ganon took over the guardians. I know I should have fought harder but I remember being exhausted. I hadn't even managed to reach Ganon. We'd had to flee for days when it happened, and we knew no help was coming because the Divine Beasts were lost.'

Without thinking, Revali reached forward and brought his hand on Link's chest, feeling how different the skin was there, too smooth and hairless. The center of the wound hardly even looked like someone' s body, it was just a large circle of raised skin surrounded by ridges of scarred tissues. 

"Is it the same on your back?" 

Link only nodded, barely blushing at all in spite of being touched that way. Maybe he was used to that. Revali couldn't imagine anyone seeing that scar and not want to check it was real. 

"Does it hurt?" He asked, removing his hand. 

'I don't feel anything at all there. I'm not sure but I think it blew a hole right through me. So that whole part of my body isn't really mine anymore.' 

"I'm sorry. This shouldn't have happened. We...  _ I _ should have protected you."

It had been their task as Champions to weaken Ganon so Link could more easily defeat him. If just one of them had defeated the Blights sent to kill them. If Revali had been stronger. If he'd been faster. If he had only held on a little longer. If he'd found the Blight's weakness. 

He'd known of course that Link had been sealed for a century. Daruk, freed before Revali, had mentioned something about him being wounded. Revali just hadn't understood exactly what had happened until that day when Link's scars weren't allowing for doubts anymore. 

'It was my fault,' Link signed, looking away. 'if I had been stronger, I could have led Zelda to Ganon the first time. Then you could all have been freed much sooner.' 

"It shouldn't have happened," Revali repeated, glaring at the scar that had almost taken everything from him. "If we had prepared better..." 

'With enough ‘if’ a zora will swim in lava,' Link cut him. 'In the end we all did the best we could. I certainly don't blame you and the other champions for what happened. Do you... Do you blame me?' 

The worry in those big blue eyes struck Revali like a blow. "I'd never blame you for something that's not your fault." 

Some tension left Link's body at those words and he grinned. 

'Not true. I think I remember... You hated me at first, didn't you? You wanted to be the chosen hero instead of me.' 

"At first,"Revali admitted, because there was no point in lying. "I got over that pretty fast though. Being you seemed to suck majorly, and you were tolerable to have around. Not easy being the only normal person in a group, so it was nice that you could understand." 

'I don't think you ever were normal,' Link protested with a smile, his cheeks a sweet shade of pink. 'I remember seeing you train and being amazed. I... Were we friends? Back then?' 

"We were," Revali confirmed, fighting with himself not to tell the whole truth. Link would remember on his own soon enough, it seemed. He just needed to be patient. 

'Are we still friends now?' 

"Sure hope so." 

Link grinned widely at that, looking the happiest Revali had seen him since... Before the Calamity probably. Revali had missed seeing him like that, relaxed and cheerful. He hoped they would share many more such moments now that there was no threat looming over them. 

They returned to Zora's Domain a little after sunset with a lot more stones than Revali had expected. Link hadn't lied about knowing where to find them, yet in spite of doing most of the work he insisted that Revali should keep the bigger ones since their little expedition had been his idea. Link insisted he was just happy to have had a chance to get away from people, and that he'd be glad to do it again. 

When they reached the domain's main square, they stumbled upon Mipha and Sidon discussing the statue of the princess and whether it should be kept. Link froze when he saw them, quickly glancing around for a way to escape them, but Sidon saw them and beckoned them closer. 

"Oh, hello Link!" Mipha said, delighted as always to see her old friend. "How was your... Oh ! Why are you wearing  _ that _ ?" 

The hylian's entire face turned bright red, while Mipha looked equally distressed. 

'It's very practical, I use it a lot,' Link signed, refusing to look at the princess. 'But if it bothers you I can stop. I wouldn't want to be disrespectful.' 

"It's just so embarrassing," Mipha muttered. "I'm glad it's of use, but I feel so foolish!" She caught Revali's confused stared and giggled. "Right, you wouldn't know. I made that armor for Link before the Calamity. It was supposed to be a courting gift but of course  _ that  _ didn't work out so well."

"A courting gift?" Revali hissed. He had known Mipha was interested in Link, but he had never realised how serious she might have been. "Link said it was a present from your  _ father _ ." 

The hylian's blush deepened and he avoided looking at Revali. 'It is? Her father gave it to me and I didn't know what it meant at first. I'm sorry Mipha, I didn't think you'd see me in it.'

The zora princess giggled uncomfortably. 

"At least, it's nice to know that I did a good job on it. It suits you well. And don't worry, I knew even before the Calamity that the implications of my gift were unwelcome. That is why I never gave it to you. To think my father kept it all these years!" 

"You should have seen Muzu's face when father gave it to Link," Sidon chuckled, one hand on the hylian's shoulder. "I thought his heart would give out." 

Recovering a little from his embarrassment, Link grimaced before doing what Revali assumed was an impression of Muzu. It must have been a good one too, because both zora started laughing, Sidon never moving his hand from Link's shoulder. 

"Well, I've got places to be," Revali grunted, annoyed even though he was almost sure the gesture was just friendly. "I'll let you three have fun." 

'Don't you want to eat something?' Link asked quickly. 'I could cook you something, to thank you for the rice balls.' 

The offer was tempting. It was always a treat to see Link cook. 

"If you would like I can take you to a hylian restaurant," Sidon offered. "I have been assured by actual hylians that it is most delicious, and you two could tell us about your adventure of today! Which, may I say, I sadly resent not being invited to join. Do think of me next time, Link." 

The hylian made a half grimace that could almost pass as a smile to someone who didn't know him as well as Revali. If Sidon hadn't been invited, it was on purpose. A flattering thought if it meant Link had wanted time alone with Revali, a worrying one if perhaps the hylian too had been gathering material for a gift. Link had never said  _ why  _ exactly he wanted those Luminous Stones. Revali had assumed it was to sell them, but maybe they had a more distressing purpose. 

"I'm not hungry," Revali lied. "You people go have fun, I have better things to do."

In spite of the other three's protests, he left quickly and went to bed immediately, hoping sleep would help him ignore the hunger. 

* * *

The jeweler paid well for the stones, giving Revali more money than he'd ever had at once. Necklaces and earrings paid better than bows it seemed. Not that Revali could really complain, especially when the zora offered to make him a pair of earrings for free. 

But after seeing the armour Mipha had once made for Link, mere earrings felt too little. Certainly he knew his husband loved such trinkets, but if Revali had to compete against royalty he needed something truly great. Something as useful as armour that let you swim up waterfalls. Something even more beautiful than delicate silver on deep blue fabric. Something made especially for Link that no one but Revali could give him. 

It was time he gave Link a bow fit for him. 

That was something Revali had planned for even before the Calamity. He had made countless sketches and calculations to come up with a bow that would be perfect for his husband. His plan had been to start working on it once they'd taken care of Ganon... And certainly that had taken longer than anticipated, but the rest of the plan was unchanged. He just needed to go get the sketches he had left inside Vah Medoh. 

The only person he warned before leaving was Zelda, because she was the first of their group to be up on the day he had chosen to go. She blinked sleepily as he explained he would be back in a couple of weeks, a month at the very worst if air currents worked against him, that they shouldn't worry. She did not ask him where he was going or where, but that was just as well because he wouldn't have told her anyway. 

In the end, nearly two months passed before Revali returned to Zora's Domain. Finding the plans for the bow hadn't been so hard, but gathering the right materials proved difficult. It took him some effort to find the perfect wood, and some more to convince its owner to part with it. Revali had to tell Harth that it was for Link to get the blacksmith to agree. Apparently his husband had left a good impression, and Revali had the feeling that if Link's jade earring hadn't marked him as married... His little hylian had success with ritos it seemed. 

After a longer absence than intended, Revali wasn't sure what sort of a welcome he expected. None, if he had to be painfully honest. Perhaps Link would be glad to see him again, now that he remembered enough, but he doubted the others would care much. Yet when he arrived they were all on Sidon's balcony and as soon as he landed, Zelda jumped at his neck. 

"You came back! I wasn't sure you would!" 

"I told you..." 

"You just said you were leaving for a while!" 

"I said for a month," Revali corrected, gently pushing her away.

"And it has been two months," Urbosa noted. "We would have been within our right to worry anyway." 

Revali stared at the gerudo, surprised to see some actual concern in her eyes. 

"I just needed to get a few things," Revali explained, pointing at the heavy bundle he'd brought with him. "Didn't think anyone would even  _ notice _ ." 

Daruk slapped his back, and it was nothing short of a miracle that Revali's spine didn't break. 

"Don't be like that skinny guy!" the goron exclaimed. "You're one of us, of course we were worried that our friend was gone! We thought that maybe..." 

Mipha kicked his shin, which seemed to hurt her more than him, and discreetly motioned at Link. If Revali had been curious about Daruk's words, it all disappeared under the angry glare from his husband. 

'Don't leave like that again,' he signed with shaking hands. 'You said we were friends! Friends don't go away without saying where they're going! What if something happened to you?' 

"Thanks for your faith in me." 

'It's not about faith! Last time you left, you died!'

They all froze at the words, even Daruk and Sidon losing their mirth at the reminder of darker days.

And Revali certainly remembered that day on mount Lanayru, the abomination in the distance that the others couldn’t see yet, the terror he’d felt when he realised how immense Ganon was, dwarfing the castle and its city, the distress because Link would have to fight such an enemy, the hope and certainty that they were all untouchable, that it would soon be over. It had soon been over. He could still feel the Blight’s canon pressed against his face, the heat of its final blast.

He was luckier than Link though. He didn’t have any scars to remind him of his death.

“I’m not so easy to kill,” Revali hissed, forcing himself to breathe normally. 

‘At least say something next time,’ Link retorted, his signs a little less angry. ‘To all of us. To  _ me _ . We’re friends, we want to know you are well.’

“The little guy is right,” Daruk insisted, patting Revali’s shoulder with more care. “We were all very worried. Ganon is gone but that doesn’t mean we’re untouchable. You’ve got to be a little nicer to the people who like you.”

“Yes, how would you feel if, say,  _ Link  _ disappeared without a word?” Mipha chipped in.

Revali glared at her, wondering how much she knew exactly. She had been Link’s closest friend before the Calamity, and while the hylian wouldn’t have said anything without checking with Revali first, she knew him enough to have guessed a few too many things perhaps.

Still, her point was a good one. The idea of Link being just gone one day and not knowing why or where was unbearable.

“Next time I’ll try to be more considerate,” he begrudgingly conceded. “I honestly just thought you wouldn’t care.”

They all stared at him until Urbosa slapped the back of his head.

“ _ Of course _ we care. You don’t make it easy at times, but none of us are the sort to balk at a difficult task, are we?”

Part of Revali wanted to protest that the other champions hadn't made things easy for him either, with all their talks of politics, but that would have been unfair. They had tried to include him in their conversations at least, even if he could not follow them. He also hadn't particularly tried to participate even when they did talk about things that interested him, fearing if he did, they might be more knowledgeable than him even in fields he had mastered. Maybe he had worried too much. Maybe they could all be friends, if he just allowed it. 

It had worked with Link after all. 

"So where did you go anyway?" Zelda asked, eyeing curiously the large bundle at his feet. "Surely you owe us an explanation now." 

"It's a surprise," Revali retorted, glancing at Link to check his reaction, glad to see curiosity instead of anger now. "You'll know in a week or two I'd say."

Of course the others immediately tried guessing what exactly he could be hiding in there. The best option was certainly Daruk’s idea that Revali had laid eggs, which left the rito breathless with laughter and devolved into an explanation of how reproduction worked for organic beings. Zelda alternated multiple times between amusement and horror as she had to go into far more details than she could have predicted. When Mipha and Revali, after exchanging a look, started confusing Daruk further with the peculiarities of their own species, the poor hylian princess gave up. She did nothing to correct them as they spouted whatever horror passed their mind just to see what the goron would believe.

Revali’s mysterious bundle was soon forgotten, though he still caught Link looking at it a few times.

  
  


The very morning after his return to Zora’s Domain, Revali installed a workstation in a corner of his room. He had borrowed a large pan from the inn and prepared a fire to boil some water. He also spread all his tools around him for easy access, as well as his materials. His sketches he propped against the wall so he could check them effortlessly.

He was just finishing setting up everything when there was a knock on the door. Before Revali could say something, Link let himself. 

'I got curious,' he explained with an impish grin. ‘You tried to be mysterious about it, but I guessed anyway. You want to make a bow, don’t you?’

“I don’t  _ want  _ anything,” Revali corrected, disappointed that the secret was already out, but proud to see Link was as smart as ever. “I  _ am making  _ a bow. Congratulations for your excellent guesswork, now leave me alone.”

‘Can I stay and watch? Please, I won’t bother you.’

For a second, Revali hardly dared to breathe. There had been another time before, so similar to that moment. Link and Zelda had come to Rito Village but the knight had been dismissed for that day, so he’d sought Revali out of boredom, bothering him in the middle of his work. He had promised to be quiet but he hadn’t been, too curious about everything Revali was doing, and the rito hadn’t minded because it wasn’t often that someone was so genuinely interested in his craft. He hadn’t made a lot of progress on his order that day, but he had made a friend.

After that, Link had often come to see him work when Zelda visited. Some days he had been quiet. Others he had been chatty, in a way he never seem to be around anyone else, signing with big expansive gestures whenever he was excited about something, smiling more and more until one day Revali had realised he had fallen madly in love with that ridiculous little hylian.

‘Are you okay?’ Link asked, briefly touching his arm. ‘It’s fine if you don’t want.’

“No, you can stay,” Revali grumbled, hoping the roughness of his voice would mistaken for annoyance rather than emotion. “Try not to bother me.”

Link was almost bouncing as he followed Revali to his work station. He sat as close as he could without risking to be in the way, his legs crossed under him, grinning like a child with a present. At first he was perfectly still while Revali put some wild goat horns to boil before turning his attention to the wood, so flexible yet strong, perfect for what he had in mind. The rito only noticed his sketches had disappeared when he had to check again the shape he wanted, and found the pieces of paper on Link’s lap. The hylians had stolen them and was inspecting them with great interest. At least, Revali had never made the mistake of writing anything on them that said for who the bow was. Even before the Calamity, he’d wanted this to be a surprise.

“I’ll be needing that,” Revali said, and Link immediately gave him the sketches.

'Looks a bit like the bows used by the yiga clan with all those curves,’ the hylian noted. ‘Why is it so different from your own?' 

"The Great Eagle Bow is perfect for me, and I have a rather large wingspan. This one is for someone with a smaller frame who’ll need to move around easily while still retaining power, so I need different materials to handle the stresses put on it." 

Link nodded, biting his lip almost as if he were trying not to smile. Revali wondered briefly if he had said too much and ruined his surprise. 

'Whoever gets this bow will be lucky,' Link signed with a little sigh, briefly brushing his fingertips against the wood. 'I'd give good money for it if you were selling.' 

"Someday maybe you'll get a chance to own one of my creations," Revali retorted, comforted that Link hadn't guessed yet. "Until then you better start saving. I'm not cheap."

Link only nodded in answer, letting Revali go back to work, watching his every movements as if he had never seen anything so fascinating. It was just like the old days.

Every morning after that, Link came to check on Revali’s progress. Sometimes he only dropped to say hi and leave some food, apparently remembering the rito’s tendency to forget everything when he worked. At other times Link stayed for a few hours, watching and asking questions about everything. Revali was amused to notice some were questions he had already answered a century before. He patiently explained everything once more, any sadness over their loss overpowered by the fact Link still cared so much about what he did for a living. In return he made sure to always ask about whatever dish the hylian had made for him that day, enjoying the way his eyes lit up when he explained what spices he had used, and how he had chosen ingredients that would have a pleasing texture so Revali would still have something to enjoy.

The days where Link could stay were Revali’s favourites, because it was so easy to forget anything had changed.

But always something brought them back to the present. Link could never spend the full day, much as they both wished for it. If he didn’t leave of his own accord, someone came to pick him up. It could be Zelda who wanted him to give his opinion on something at Dorephan’s council. Other times it was a zora knight coming to remind Link he had promised to help them train with swords. The worst was when Sidon knocked on the door to ask Link to help with something, because the hylian never was as reluctant to leave if it was with the prince. Revali told himself he was imagining things, that Link still came to see him every day which had to mean something. It didn’t make it easier to see his husband smile so easily at someone else.

It had been his intention to let Link remember their bond on his own but the more Revali saw him at Sidon’s side, the least he felt capable of waiting. Perhaps he would explain everything when he would give Link his bow. He would not make any demands, willing to wait until his husband was ready to renew their relationship… if he wanted that at all. But why wouldn’t we? They fit so well together. Why would Link want someone else?

After two weeks of hard work, finally, Revali realised one afternoon that he was done. Relief coursed through his veins at the thought. It had been a bad day until that moment. Link had barely been there at all that morning, Sidon had come to fetch him almost as soon as he had arrived and the two had left laughing together at a joke the prince had refused to explain, pretexting it would take too long to explain the entire context. All day Revali had been seething, thinking of the way Link had laughed at the joke, the way his eyes shone when Sidon hadn’t explained, the spring in his step as they left together. 

It would be fine though. His bow was ready, beautiful deadly curves perfect for shooting from a horse or while needing to hide, decorated with two of Revali’s own feathers. It was the perfect courting gift and Link would love it and know what it meant and Revali wouldn’t have to worry about anyone else ever again.

If Revali had been smart, he would have considered that Link would come see him the following morning, as he always did. It would be a fine moment to gift him the bow and talking to him. But the rito wasn’t smart. What he was, instead, was desperately in love and needing his husband to know everything this very instant. He needed to see Link’s reaction to the bow, to their story, to his affections. He had waited for months now, waiting even another second would have been a torture.

With the bow carefully wrapped in a goat skin, Revali headed outside.

When Revali found Link he was on a platform over the lake, a beautiful setting that would have been perfect for a heartfelt declaration. But the Hylian wasn't alone. Sidon was with him as often, the two of them sitting on a bench, deep in conversation. With the distance and position it was hard to make out most of Link's signs, and Revali was too far to hear Sidon's words. He could however see the deep blush on his husband's face, the way they were leaning toward each other. Even from afar, Revali saw Link sign the word love, only for Sidon to shout something and pull him into a tight hug. 

Revali should have been angry. He should have wanted push Sidon away and grab his husband... But he felt too numb for that. Whatever they had once shared, Link had moved on. How could he be blamed? The choice was between a prince beloved by his entire people and a rupeeless bowyer who had let him die. It was hardly a choice at all, was it?

His now useless bow clutched against his chest, Revali left the two lovers at their joy and headed back to his room.

* * *

As they did most evenings, everyone was hanging out in Sidon's appartements, since it was large enough for all of them and it had the best view on the hills that surrounded the Domain. Revali had not joined them often, busy with his work, but when he came in that evening they all smiled at him. 

"Revali! Come here, my friend," Sidon invited him, making space between Link and himself. "We have missed your company!" 

'How's the bow coming along?' Link asked eagerly. 'It looked almost done this morning, will you be finished soon?' 

It was so hard to see his hylian, his  _ husband  _ look at him with such unrestrained joy, to see his grin, and know it no longer meant the same thing it used to. It was harder still to know that if he just told him the truth, Link would likely give up on Sidon, honorable to a fault. The temptation was there but Revali knew he had to be better than that. Keeping Link at his side by force would be worse than not having him at all. 

"Link, close your eyes," he ordered. 

The demand puzzled Link and the others, but the hylian promptly obeyed, still smiling. 

"I free you of your obligations to me," Revali recited with one wing raised above Link’s head, words he had never thought he would have to say. "May the winds guide you where you are needed, for my nest is no longer yours and I shall never again share your path." 

Before the words could register with everyone, Revali gently grasped Link's ear and took away the jade ring that adorned it. It looked small in his hand and felt too light for all that it had represented. 

His eyes now wide open in surprise, Link tried to grab back his earring but Revali easily avoided his hand. 

"Go and be happy," he muttered. "You're not my problem anymore." 

Before anyone could react, he strode to the balcony and took flight, ready to disappear from all their lives. He had on him the money from the Luminous Stones, everything else he could leave behind. If Link found the bow and luminous earrings he could keep them or sell them, Revali didn't care anymore. The only thing that mattered was already lost to him. 

His initial plan had been to fly away from Zora's Domain and head directly to Tabantha, but the rapidly falling night forced him to change his plan and find a place to sleep in Upland Zorana. Maybe he should have proceeded with the divorce at breakfast so leaving would be easier, but the thought of staying so close to Link for even one more minute had been unbearable. Even now, on top of those high hills, the distance wasn't enough. He needed the world between them. 

By some cruel twist of fate, the only safe place Revali could find before it became too dark for him was the exact spot where Link and him had shared rice balls, weeks earlier. It was salt in his wounds. He had been so hopeful then, so convinced that Link still cared, that the love they had shared would be stronger than anything Ganon had inflicted upon them. He could still see his husband's smile when Revali had confirmed they were still friends. 

His  _ former  _ husband. 

That would be a hard one to get used to. The thought of Link had been one of the few things keeping him sane during his imprisonment inside Vah Medoh. His friend, his beloved, his husband, now gone from his life because someone better had come along. 

The Elder had warned them at the time that they were young, that a hasty marriage in troubled times might not last long once peace had returned, but they hadn't listened because they were young, in love, and terrified of the future. Even with how things had turned out, Revali couldn't regret the way they had done things. Those precious few weeks of happiness before the Calamity, those moments of closeness after Ganon's defeat... They were worth all the pain and heartbreak. 

Dawn wasn't fully there yet when Revali opened his eyes, awakened by someone shaking him. For a half second it was a pleasant surprise to find Link's face so close to his, the hylian wearing his zora armor, until he recalled what he had been forced to do the previous night. 

"What are you doing here?" Revali grumbled. He tried to stand, determined to fly from a conversation he wouldn't like, but Link grabbed his arm and forced him to sit down next to him. 

'You stole my ring. Give it back.' 

"Stole nothing," Revali retorted, too sleepy to think clearly. "I paid for it, I get to keep it at least." 

Link's expression changed, some of the anger making place to confusion. 

'What do you mean you paid for it?' 

"Nothing. Forget it. I'll give it back if it's so damn important to you, but you can't wear it anymore." 

It would have been nice to keep that memory of Link, but if it was the only way to get the hylian to leave him alone... Revali started rummaging through his purse, looking for the green ring until a warm hand pushed under his beak and forced him to look up. 

'Why can't I wear it anymore?' Link asked. 

"Because I ask you to. Think of it as a favour to a friend." 

'Are we still friends? The things you said last night didn't sound very friendly. It sounded more like...' 

Link hesitated, clenching his fingers randomly and biting his lip as he searched for a way to express his thoughts. Revali used to find it adorable. He still did. It would take him a while to stop loving those small things about his former husband. 

'You said once that jade was a courting gift,' Link signed at last. 'For a time I thought maybe there had been something between us, before everything went wrong. But all of tonight as I was searching for you I kept thinking the ring felt so much more important than just a courting gift. I cried so hard after you left with it, Sidon worried I would make myself sick. I almost did.'

“And we don’t want to worry Sidon of course,” Revali hissed, digging into his purse once more until he found the ring, flinging it at Link’s face. “There. Go back to your prince now. He must be  _ worried _ .”

Link barely managed to catch the ring, taken aback by the strength with which it had been thrown. He carefully put it down on his tunic so he could sign. ‘Why are you angry at me? I’m the one who should be angry. You stole something of mine and said those weird things and…’

“I’m angry because I thought we still had a  _ chance _ !” Revali exploded. “You didn’t remember anything but you were still smiling at me and wanting to spend time with me and I thought things could still work if I gave us time and showed you how good it used to be, but you had to ruin everything by falling for that stupid  _ perfect  _ prince! Do you have any idea how much it hurts to see you at his side? You don’t, because you can’t even remember how much I love you! And then you forced me to be good and decent and to divorce you so you could be with your stupid new boyfriend! So yes, I’m angry, but I think I have a  _ right  _ to be!”

Link stared blankly at him, as if trying to make sense of that outburst. Then, slowly, his hands moved again.

‘Divorce?’

Revali blinked. Shit. “Forget I said that. It doesn’t matter.”

‘We are married?’ Link insisted, blue eyes wide with shock.

“Not anymore. That’s usually the point of a  _ divorce _ .”

Link looked down at the earring, then up again at Revali, a frown on his face.

‘You can’t divorce me without telling me, it’s not right. Why didn’t you tell me we were married? If I had known…’

Revali grabbed the hylian’s hands to silence him. “If you had known you wouldn’t have gotten with that stupid fish. You’d have stayed with me out of  _ duty  _ of all things, and I… I love you too much to keep you like that. So go now. Forget about me and be happy with stupid Sidon who will treat you perfectly and you two can have a  _ perfect  _ life.”

Link shoved him away to free his hands, clenching his fingers for a few seconds.

‘What does Sidon have to do with all of this?’ he asked at last.

“I know you love him,” Revali said with a joyless laugh. “I saw the two of you talking yesterday. I saw you say you loved him. Can’t even blame you. He is a catch. Suppose I should be glad at least I’ve been dumped for someone better than me.”

For a second Link stared at him, his mouth slowly morphing into a grin, his shoulders shaking. In the end he couldn’t contain himself and started laughing, breathless little noises escaping his throat as tears formed at the corners of his eyes.

‘I don’t love Sidon,’ he signed, his hands shaking from how hard he was laughing. ‘You idiot! I was telling him I was almost sure you loved me too!’

“What?”

Link grinned proudly. ‘I am not stupid. I know the bow you were making was for me. I was so excited to see it finished soon, and I told Sidon if it really was a present for me, then I’d know for sure. But I was convinced anyway that you loved me, and he was happy for me. I was right. You do love me. You jealous idiot.’

“You don’t… love him?”

Again Link started laughing, before throwing himself at Revali to kiss the side of his beak, wrapping his arms around the rito’s neck, Revali’s arm immediately coming around his waist to hold him close. Revali nuzzled his beak against his hylian’s nose, his heart constricting at the tender gesture he had so missed. It felt so good to have Link in his arms again, to feel his sturdy frame against his chest, the warmth of his skin whenever he kissed Revali’s beak.

Link pulled away a little, just enough to sign. ‘Jealous idiot. Are we really divorced?’

“I said the words, so yes,” Revali sighed, his feathers ruffled in embarrassment. Perhaps he should have tried talking to Link instead of making decisions for both of them.

Link tilted his head as he considered the news, and Revali felt guilt hit him. It had to be a lot to take in at once, learning he had been married and divorced. Yet soon Link was grinning again.

‘We can get married again,’ he suggested. ‘And this time all our friends can be there. We could have a party! Not a huge one, just something for the seven of us. Or six of us, if you don’t want Sidon there, but he is my best friend and I do  _ really  _ want him at my wedding.’

“I can tolerate him,” Revali conceded. Now that he knew the prince wasn’t trying to take Link away, he had no reason to dislike him. On the contrary, he could only be glad that Link had found himself a good friend to whom he could speak, and it would be nice to get to know his husband’s best friend.

His  _ fiancé’s  _ best friend.

“Wait, let’s do this properly,” Revali said, pushing Link away so they could both stand. “Link, will you… where’s the ring?”

The hylian gasped and brought one hand to his mouth, the two of them realising it had fallen when Link had launched himself at Revali. A nice pair of idiots the both of them, Revali thought fondly. They started looking for the earring, a difficult task in the dim light of dawn. Green jade among green grass made for a challenging treasure hunt, but Revali eventually found it and held it high above his head in triumph while Link chuckled. 

Again they both stood, Link grinning and blushing, Revali so puffed with emotion that he must have doubled volume.

“Link, I have loved you for over a century. I know I’m an asshole and I barely have a ruppee to my name, but will you still do me the honour of marrying me again?”

‘You are a bit of an asshole at times,’ Link agreed, grinning so wide his cheeks had to hurt. ‘But you’re the only one I could ever want. I’ll gladly marry you, if you’ll have me. Can I have my earring back now?’

Revali laughed. “I shouldn’t put it back on you until the proper ceremony,” he said, while rubbing the ring against his shirt to clean it. “People might get the wrong idea,” he added as he gently put the jewelry back on Link’s ear.

Revali stepped back to admire his hylian who looked so happy as he brought a hand to touch the ring. They were going to make this work. It wouldn’t always be easy, Revali knew it too well, but they were going to make this work because if death itself hadn’t managed to part them, nothing could.

  
  



End file.
